Revised proceedings - The System of Rice Intensification - Cornell ...

Input utilization/use structure
On an average total man power requirement in SRI method was higher (148 man-days/bigha) compared to
CM (116 man-days/bigha). In fact, the operations like land preparation, uprooting seedlings, transplanting
and weeding required more labour in SRI plot compared to CM plot. However, cost of labour use was 27%
higher in SRI compared to that of CM. Number of irrigation and interval was same for SRI and CM.
Requirement of chemical fertilizer in SRI method is comparatively less than that under CM. Fertilizer cost for
SRI practice was about 40% less compared to farmer‟s practice. Per bigha cost of cultivation of BRRI dhan 28
were Tk. 19,980 and Tk. 16,505 on full costs basis and Tk. 18,735 and 15,373 on cash costs basis for SRI and
conventional method respectively (Table 10). Per bigha gross return was Tk. 20,200 and Tk. 15,000 for SRI
and conventional method respectively. Net return for SRI method was Tk. 2,000 and Tk. 1,465 on full costs
and cash costs basis respectively. Net return was 38% higher in SRI method compared to that of CM. Per
unit cost of production of SRI and CM were Tk. 16.05 and Tk. 18.14 on full costs basis and it was Tk 14.94
and Tk. 16.72 cash cost basis, respectively.
Partial budgeting
Partial budget analysis was carried out to assess overall economic advantage of SRI method of Boro rice
cultivation over CM of farmer‟s practice. However, the empirical analysis revealed that the SRI adopters could
gain extra benefit of TK.1,840/bigha by adopting SRI technique instead of normal practice (Table 10.1).
Table 10.1: Partial budgeting of SRI vs. CM of Boro Rice Cultivation (Tk/bigha)
Items Debit Items Credit
SRI CM
A. Cost of production using 18,735.00 A. Cost saved for not
15,375.00
SRI
practicing CM
A. Revenue forgone for not
practicing CM
15,000.00 A. Revenue earned from SRI 20,200.00
B. Profit/Loss
+1,840.00 A. Profit/Loss
-
D. Total 35,575.00 35,575.00
Summary of some economic changes
The most important economic advantages of SRI over CM of rice cultivation are shown in table 11. Though
the labour requirement was 27% higher in SRI, the return to labour was 6% higher in SRI compared to CM of
rice cultivation. The yield advantage was 40% higher in SRI than that of CM which generated additional net
revenue of 38% over CM.
Table 11: Summary of some Economic Changes
Economic parameters BRRI dhan-28
SRI CM Change % change
Labour required (man-days/bigha) 49 38 + 11 27
Grain yield (kg/bigha) 1,120 800 + 320 40
Cost of labour (Tk/bigha) 5,910 4,650 + 1,260 27
Revenue earned (Tk/bigha) 20,200 15,000 + 5,200 35
Net revenue earned (Tk/bigha) 14,290 10,350 + 3,940 38
Return to labour (Tk/man-day) 410 387 + 23 6
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